Trip Hawkins at NGDC 2012: Apps today, browser tomorrow

Industry legend Trip Hawkins delivered a keynote speech on day 1 of the NASSCOM Game Developer Conference, and he had some interesting predictions for where the games industry is headed next.

We live in an era of convenience,” said Hawkins, stating further that just like it has happened with music, video and other forms of entertainment, the gaming market will shift to devices and platforms that offer the most convenience.

While Hawkins recognised the iPad's strong position in this regard, he also highlighted the drawbacks and limitations of the app store system and the fact that Apple has so far been reluctanct to allow Flash on its systems.

He predicted that while the app stores are all the rage today and will probably continue to be so for the next couple of years, the future of gaming lies in the free realm – on browsers.

The worldwide web is the last free and open platform. It's like the Wild West. It's cowboys,” said Hawkins. The EA founder believes that the choice available to consumers and the freedom that developers possess on browsers will make it the perfect gaming platform for the future, free of closed marketplaces like the iOS App Store and Google Play.